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Elf
Origin Elves are the oldest race alive in Lancerus today, predating Men, Dwarves, and even The Seven themselves. Elves were born under the light of Yav during the Dawn of the Ages. The first Elves were the children of the Vanessi race, and were taught and nurtured by them. Elves were the first race to physically reproduce without the aid of magic, though due to their ties with the divine, are still heavily connected with it. All High Elves, barring very rare circumstances, live forever; Wood Elves, although lacking immortality, still live well into their seventh or eighth century . Elves cannot be harmed by natural disease, are incredibly resilient to heat and cold, and never age past their prime. While High Elves are immortal, they may still die by the sword, intense hunger, intense sadness, or dark magic. Wood Elves are less prone to the vile touch of the dark arts (though still more so than Men), due in part to their severance with The Seven, but may still perish from extreme sadness or the sword. Elves naturally loathe evil and dark magic and can naturally sense the activities of such things. This does not mean that Elves themselves are above corruption: throughout history, Elves greatest sins are often attributed to acts of pride and and unwillingness to compromise with "lesser races". Wise, beautiful, and talented in almost anything they set their minds to, Elves are the last remaining link to the First Age. In combat, Elves prefer quick, efficient weapons such as swords and bows. In peace, Elves enjoy music, writing, communing with nature, and other artful pursuits. Elves greatest strength is their talents, wisdom, and insight into the nature of others. Their weakness is their slowness to trust, their small numbers, and their vulnerability to dark, evil powers of the world. High Elf The High Elves of Lindala hold themselves above all other races. The bloodlines of most High Elves can be traced back to the very beginning of Ura; there are some Elves even alive to this day that witnessed first-hand the rise and fall of gods. To know why High Elves are known as such, one must go back to the beginning of the First Age. After the destruction of Outer World, Ura was created and Elves were to be its first sentient inhabitants. Two Elves of royal blood were chosen to lead their race in the new world: Lord Maia, and Lady Ilsa. Upon settling in the new world, Maia and Ilsa were given a task: to assist in the creation of great kingdoms for the future of Ura. Both complied: Lady Ilsa settled in Nostotavas in Falfir (now Rhivic) and created the First Kingdom. Lord Maia went farther south and created Arn. After many years, the races of Elves were called back to the West by the Seven to allow the Elf children to receive their blessing. Though Lady Ilsa obeyed without hesitation, Lord Maia refused the call. He remained in Arn, satisfied that his kingdom of golden trees was enough. The Silver Lady Lady Ilsa, for her obedience, was given a powerful gift: the Vanessoore, the heart of the Vanessi. Ilsa was imbued with its essence, allowing her to travel to and from the immortal lands of The Seven. It also gave her tremendous magical power. Ilsa and her children were then known as the High Elves, and Ilsa was the first Silver Lady. There have only been three others beside her: Ilsa's daughter, Illara (of the Second Age) Illara's daughter, Ellinthille (of the Third Age) Ellinthille's daughter, Elliera (of the Fourth Age) Each Silver Lady reigns for the duration of their Age. Upon the completion of the prophecies foretold them beyond the Veil, the Silver Lady departs Ura and leaves her daughter with her new mantle. This begins a new age in Ura; almost every Realm of Ura follows these signs. Biology and Culture High Elves who grow vastly old and tire of Ura or those who have performed great deeds worthy of honor are allowed to use the Vanessoore to travel to Jerua. The High Elves have changed little since the days of old. Though their ties with Men are strong, they are always cautious of the sins of Men. They have a strong dislike of Dwarves, whom they consider traitors of the Black War. High Elves prefer subtle diplomacy to brash action. Their keen senses allow them to pick up on things many other races could not, and as such, it is near impossible to outsmart or lie to a High Elf that has had their senses honed with time. High Elves grow the slowest of all their Elven brethren: a High Elf is not considered to have reached maturity until at least 70 years of age. Physically, a High Elf will remain "childlike" physically for around 20-30 years. The equivalent to a young adult Elf is around 40-100 years of age. An older, expierenced Elf is usually well over 200 years of age. Lindala versus Silvalen The High Elves of Lancerus make their home in Lindala, however, it was not always so. After the fall of Rhivic, Kalyar took the Elves under his wing and led them to where he thought best; Silvalen. There were some, however, that felt that Men were not yet ready to forge their own destiny. So it was that the High Elves split into two distinct orders. The Silver Lady (the newly appointed Ellinthille) stayed in Lancerus with many of her kin while Kalyar took the rest further south. The High Elves of Ellinthille settled in the Great Forest of Linvale and helped it prosper. There they remain, keeping a quiet eye on the Gazing Mountians to the East and on their allies to the West. The High Elves of Silvalen, having no human nations to contend with, have grown far greater in number. There culture is much more xenophobic than their Lindalan cousins. As such, little is known of their ways, their cities, or even their leadership. High Elf 3.jpg High Elf 2.jpg High Elf 1.jpg Wood Elf When called upon to return to The Seven, Lord Maia refused. His Kingdom he had built for himself was beautiful and prosperous, and he was loathe to leave it. In return, him and his followers were subjugated to a slow but noticeable "withering" of their race. The line of Maia, over the course of the next several centuries, lost size: while High Elves often stand eye to eye with Men or taller, Arnish Elves lost stature, often standing a few inches shorter and weighing slightly less. They lost immunity to diseases and their ability to sense dark powers and would eventually even lose their immortality. To further damn them for their insubordination, The Seven professed that the sight of their faces would cause them to anger. "Not until the last of your first has passed, none shall not look skyward to find us, for we will not be there," Nolweva decreed. Many Elves, fearful of The Seven's wrath, fled to the forests of the world, earning them the name of Wood Elves. Since that time, Wood Elves have found little solace in the company of other races, and instead operate only so far as their own interests will take them. Many Wood Elves feel unconsciously abandoned due to their history, and therefore create incredibly tight bonds with just one other person, usually another Wood Elf. It is not uncommon for Wood Elves to physically die of sadness if their partner dies. Biology and Culture Wood Elves are emotionally reclusive but physically adventurous. This manifests itself in many ways, from violence to sex and everything in between. They share little of the ceremonial ways of their High Elf cousins, and often pursue their heart's desires with little regard to what may happen to others. Wood Elves, even the greatest among them, cannot see into the realm of spirits as High Elves can. Nor can Wood Elves live forever or withstand tremendous physical trauma. Indeed, some would say that Wood Elves are closer to humans than High Elves are to Wood Elves. Lunafell Many Wood Elves, after the exodus of Arn, settled in Daggerwood and constructed the great city of Lunafell. In the creation of Lunafell, the Wood Elves sought the aid of many a wayward spirit. These spirits conjugated in the city and, in exchange for a home of their own, granted the Wood Elves a small fraction of their former glory. At Lunafell's height, denizens of the great city were nearly as powerful as the High Elves. The Wood Elves even sought the aid of Sirfung, the forest's guardian, to keep the spirits in line. He cooperated, for a time. Lunafell remained for many centuries until its utter destruction by the dragon Ulghiant. Sirfung, greatly outmatched by the serpent, was beaten within a fraction of his life. This caused the spirits of Lunafell to flee in terror. The city fell shortly after, where the dragon reigned as ruler for many generations until the creatures eventual death at the hands of Byrin the Dragonslayer and Sirfung. Since that day, Lunafell has become a haven for wicked spirits and dark powers. The Tribes of Daggerwood After the Dragon was slain, the Wood Elves of Daggerwood separated into four distinct tribes, with three tribes governing one section of Daggerwood each and one tribe remaining nomadic: Girdrin guards the Southern Forest. The largest of the tribes, Girdrin holds little warmth in his heart for outsiders. He regards humans with disgust and, because of this, has trained his warriors to capture humans. More often than not, these humans are not left alive for long. Girdrin, though stern, is incredibly wise and has led his tribe to health more reminiscent of the Lunar days. The good spirits of the forest, though few, respect his authority. Viyava guards the Northern Forest. Unlike Girdrin, Viyava has done away with most of the ancient Elven practices. The gods and spirits of the world mean little to her and her people, and they harbor no ill-will towards humans. Indeed, Northern Wood Elves often trade with the cities of Arn and many of the Wood Elves migrate their permanently. Viyava has also taught her children to abandon the druidic practices of the Elves of old, favoring steel over magic. Arthon guards the ruins of Lunafell. Arthon is the ruler of the smallest tribe of Wood Elves. These Elves guard the ruins of the lost city, though are careful to never venture inside. Anything, whether Elf or human, that wanders too close to the city is slain on sight. The task is daunting, for the dark powers of the city ebb into the surrounding wilderness. The druids of the tribe manage to keep the darkness at bay, though it taxes their bodies incredibly. Because of this, the tribe of Arthon regularly asks for brave Elves from the other tribes to aid them in their struggle. Arthon himself is unique among Wood Elves, as he has retained not only his immortality but can sense the powers of darkness more strongly than any other Elf alive save for the Silver Lady, Elliera. Some believe it is because he was tainted by Ulghiant's fires, others believe he is partly wraith. None know for sure. Gova leads their nomadic Elves through the vast swaths of Daggerwood and beyond. Gova's tribe, unlike the large majority of Wood Elves, still follows the Seven's Way, and particularly venerates the teachings of Nolweva. Like most of the Nolwevan believers, the Elves of Gova harbor a deep love of all knowledge. This, paired with their Elven heritage, has allowed them a deep understanding of a multitude of subjects, many of which are usually outside the Elven domain. Those of the tribe of Gova are seldom hostile but are proficient in the art of secrecy and deception. Most unique to the nomadic Wood Elves are their lack of genders. Much like Nolweva (the only member of the Seven with no discernible gender), the Elves of the Gova tribe do not fall into typical male/female categories. Little is understood of this process to outsiders. Wood Elf 4.jpg Wood Elf 3.jpg Wood Elf 2.jpg Wood Elf 1.jpg Ashen Elf There is perhaps no other race in Ura that is so feared as the Ashen Elves. During the Black War of the Second Age, the forces of light were desperately attempting to not be overcome by Gothkrissil and his armies. In a moment of desperation, the Elven commander Faindar sought out Unquala for help. Unquala offered a unique solution, though she informed Faindar that the results would never be undone. Faindar agreed, and Unquala told Faindar to slay the dragon Ar'zharag, a general in Gothkrissil's army. Faindar and his soldiers fought with great strength; in the end, only Faindar survived. Unquala, weeping for her fallen children, instructed Faindar to collect the dragon's ashes in a special container. The bodies of Faindar's soldiers were then thrown into the Whispering Lake, and Faindar then threw the ashes across the lake. Faindar himself then descended into the icy waters. Unquala, in her divine power, resurrected the Elves in a new form. Using the dragon's power and her own divine blessing, the Elves of Faindar were reborn as Ashen Elves, the most fearsome soldiers the army of light had yet to create. Ashen Elves, sometimes known as Frost or Snow Elves, stand roughly 6-7 feet tall. They're skin ranges from pale white to icy blue. Their hair is almost always an ivory or snow white color. Ashen Elves are an extremely dangerous race. Even the weakest among them is stronger than any man. Ashen Elves possess immunity to colder temperatures, incredible vision, colossal strength, and a vicious temperament. Ashen Elves are not known to ever take prisoners, unless of course information is needed. Ashen Elves, much unlike their southern brethren, respect power over bloodline, and only the strongest amongst them is allowed to rule. Ashen Elves encourage assassination attempts on their leaders, and it is common belief that an Ashen King or Queen does not remain so for long. Unqualla is worshipped extensively by the Ashen Elves, who consider her to be their mother. They venerate death and revel in it, considering it to be a blessing to pass from this life and reunite with the Weeping Mother. Most of the Ashen live in Blackheart Willow, an old Rhivician fortress from the Second Age. Its towering walls of stone and ice deter almost all who approach. There has been no non-violent contact with the Ashen Elves for centuries. Any who travel that way (for whatever suicidal reason that may be) are advised to avoid the Ashen Elves at all cost. City Elf City Elves are less of a race and more of a sub-type of Wood Elf. Having foregone everything that made them Elf, City Elves live their lives among humans. High Elves that leave their homes are still empowered by their pure blood; High Elves never become City Elves. City Elves are varied in temperament and appearance (much like humans) but share at least a few connecting features. For one, city Elves tend to be the shortest of all their kind, particularly if they are second-generation city dwellers. Known for shrewd business tactics and a cunning mind, the city Sylvans are often seen as peddling thieves or even confused for gypsies. The life of an Elf in a human city is also varied. They are common in Arn (which shares a border with Daggerwood), but much more rare the farther north one travels. City Elves are an exotic sight in Oden and Gildor, where they are often seen as pale, frail imitations of the more well-known High Elves of he area. City Elf 2.jpg City Elf 1.jpg Category:Races